Basil seeds self pollinate which means each flower has a male and female part. The basil flower can still be cross pollinated if it is growing near another variety. If you don’t want to cross pollinate, then you should grow one variety, give them plenty of space or protect the flower.
Seed Saving Tips:
1) You can leave the flower head to completely dry on the plant or once it starts drying you can store it in a brown bag.
2) Once the flower head is completely dry, they will look like the stem on the right.
3) Take each small brown dried flower and rub them between your thumb and finger. You will get 2 to 3 seeds from each flower. The seeds are tiny and black.
4) I like to keep the seeds in a small bowl to completely dry out for a few more days.
5) Store the seeds in a brown bag or an envelope until next season. Don’t forget to label the packet with the variety and the year saved.
While we chatted about how to save Calendula seeds yesterday, today was the first herb!
